[Release] AB-Solution 3 - The Ad Blocking Solution

[Wutikorn]

Wow, installation is way easier than I thought. Very basic knowledge I needed for installation. You really have made it easy to install and run. Btw, is there a way to test Standard host file that ad is being blocked? If a website is blocked, I would get "server DNS address could not be found", am I right? Does this also block pop-up, or is it different? Can/Should I turn off SSH after installation(I don't use it for other purposes)?

In the image below, it shows available space as -17000000GB and cause the storage bar to be very very long, is this a known issue? Is there a way to fix it? Should I use ext2,3 instead of ext4? Or should I ask RMerlin about it?

You just have to change the port for Ai Cloud i guess.
AB is a must have addon !

That would be fine if I (edited: "don't") install pixelserv-tls, right?

 

[steelskinz]

indeed

 

[thelonelycoder]

You just have to change the port for Ai Cloud i guess.

AB is a must have addon !

Unless you have AI Cloud activated, there's no need to reassign the port.

 

[steelskinz]

My mistake. I thought we had to change it but it could be because i'm on xvortex ported firmware.

 

[thelonelycoder]

Wow, installation is way easier than I thought. Very basic knowledge I needed for installation. You really have made it easy to install and run. Btw, is there a way to test Standard host file that ad is being blocked? If a website is blocked, I would get "server DNS address could not be found", am I right? Does this also block pop-up, or is it different? Can/Should I turn off SSH after installation(I don't use it for other purposes)?

As long as SSH is only available to the LAN clients you can leave it on.

In the image below, it shows available space as -17000000GB and cause the storage bar to be very very long, is this a known issue? Is there a way to fix it? Should I use ext2,3 instead of ext4? Or should I ask RMerlin about it?

That would be fine if I (edited: "don't") install pixelserv-tls, right?

You likely have a very large USB Stick plugged in, no worries.
Ext 4 is not ideal, better go with ext 2 if you have problems.

 

[thelonelycoder]

My mistake. I thought we had to change it but it could be because i'm on xvortex ported firmware.

Only if you have it enabled, it has to be set in nvram. @cybrnook knows best.

 

[Wutikorn]

You likely have a very large USB Stick plugged in, no worries.
Ext 4 is not ideal, better go with ext 2 if you have problems.

It's 2GB flash drive, but available space is not even positive, it's negative millions GB. If I want to reflash my flash drive, do I just do safely remove flash drive and flash it, and start the installation process right at the beginning? Or should I restore jffs before the installation as well?

 

[cybrnook]

Only if you have it enabled, it has to be set in nvram. @cybrnook knows best.

@thelonelycoder @steelskinz

Yep, I would start here. This situation has been overcome by changing the AI Cloud port to 9443 via nvram.

You can start here:
Change AI Cloud from 443 to allow PixelServ to Utilize 443

 

[thelonelycoder]

It's 2GB flash drive, but available space is not even positive, it's negative millions GB. If I want to reflash my flash drive, do I just do safely remove flash drive and flash it, and start the installation process right at the beginning? Or should I restore jffs before the installation as well?

Try to reboot the router first, it might just be Merlin playing tricks on you.

 

[Wutikorn]

Try to reboot the router first, it might just be Meelin playing teicks with you.

I have just rebooted the router. It's still not working(available space is still negative millions GB).

 

[thelonelycoder]

I have just rebooted the router. It's still not working(available space is still negative millions GB).

Search the forum, this is Firmware related, not AB. Maybe post in a new thread with info of your device.

 

[Wutikorn]

Search the forum, this is Firmware related, not AB. Maybe post in a new thread with info of your device.

Do you have this problem as well? Or is it just me?

 

[thelonelycoder]

Do you have this problem as well? Or is it just me?

No, never had that.

 

[thelonelycoder]

Time to think about where to go with the next version of AB-Solution.
There will be an update for the pixelserv-tls addon in the next week or so and the goals are set for that one, but I might add something you miss or would like to have added.
For the main script, ab-solution.sh, I have reset my future goals to 0, so anything is possible.
Let me hear what function you want to see in AB-Solution 3.1 or 4.

Just to kill requests for that feature, I have had plans to add a WebUI with the help of nginx http server available in Entware.
I no longer want to go that route as I find that the current sshUI is more than one could ever hope for to control AB's functions.
A WebUI would complicate things for me a lot, with no added benefit in the functionality of AB.

Let's hear what your wishes are for the next version of AB-Solution.

 

[tomsk]

Time to think about where to go with the next version of AB-Solution.
There will be an update for the pixelserv-tls addon in the next week or so and the goals are set for that one, but I might add something you miss or would like to have added.
For the main script, ab-solution.sh, I have reset my future goals to 0, so anything is possible.
Let me hear what function you want to see in AB-Solution 3.1 or 4.

Just to kill requests for that feature, I have had plans to add a WebUI with the help of nginx http server available in Entware.
I no longer want to go that route as I find that the current sshUI is more than one could ever hope for to control AB's functions.
A WebUI would complicate things for me a lot, with no added benefit in the functionality of AB.

Let's hear what your wishes are for the next version of AB-Solution.

I think i would like to see AB eventually become a hybrid solution that employs additional techniques in conjunnction with hosts blocking to stay ahead of the game. Those advertisers that hardcode IPs to circumvent DNS resolution need quieting down, and i don't know how to get around those advertisers loading content from the same server as the main content ( seems to be used more and more now).
Obviously there going to be a limit to what you can do with the horsepower of the average router, but i think theres probably still room to maneuver.

 

[thelonelycoder]

Those advertisers that hardcode IPs to circumvent DNS resolution need quieting down, and i don't know how to get around those advertisers loading content from the same server as the main content ( seems to be used more and more now).

I've been thinking about that too. The how-to will be difficult to solve, but once done this would be another killer feature.

 

[thiggins]

and i don't know how to get around those advertisers loading content from the same server as the main content ( seems to be used more and more now).

What do you expect companies to do when you are choking off their revenue stream?

I've been thinking about that too. The how-to will be difficult to solve, but once done this would be another killer feature.

I would rather see you think about what are acceptable forms of ads that won't be blocked.

Good "free" content has to be supported somehow or that content will go away and the creators will find other ways to make a living.

 

[thelonelycoder]

What do you expect companies to do when you are choking off their revenue stream?

I can understand your point. However, the reverse applies to the blockers. Nothing new, just different parameters.

I would rather see you think about what are acceptable forms of ads that won't be blocked.
Good "free" content has to be supported somehow or that content will go away and the creators will find other ways to make a living.

As always, your two domains will be the test-bed for site exclusion, a feature that would come along with it. If I can figure out a way.

 

[thelonelycoder]

indeed

For others to know what you refer to, please use the reply button, or if you select text from a post, the explicit reply feature.

 

[thiggins]

I can understand your point. However, the reverse applies to the blockers. Nothing new, just different parameters.

I don't understand "the reverse applies to the blockers". Can you explain?

As always, your two domains will be the test-bed for site exclusion, a feature that would come along with it. If I can figure out a way.

I appreciate that. But what about the other ad blockers that don't whitelist SNB and SNBForums? I'm talking about ad blocking in general. Ads = revenue. No ads, no revenue, no SNB (and other ad supported sites). There has to be some form of ad that is acceptable.